Rest in Power, Muhammad Ali, Legends never die!

Today there was another left hook out of nowhere! Muhammad Ali, the greatest icon of boxing, died on Friday (local time) at the age of 74 in a hospital near Phoenix. Ali had a big mouth, but also performed well - and not just as a boxer. He was probably the greatest social justice warrior ever. To the New York Times to cite his refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War, his rejection of racial integration at the height of the civil rights movement, his conversion from Christianity to Islam, and the change of his "slave" name, Cassius Clay, to a name more familiar to him by the separatist black sect Black Muslims made him a serious threat to the conservative establishment and his noble acts of defiance defied the liberal opposition. He has now lost his last fight, the King has left us.

A special person has left us. Despite his many great successes, I appreciated him for his civil courage, that he went to prison for his convictions, also shows how deeply racist the US&A is, a white man with the name would never have gone to prison. The three-time heavyweight champion has now lost his 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease at the age of 74. The former boxing superstar's family had gathered at his bedside in a Phoenix clinic, the Los Angeles Times wrote. Ali leaves behind nine children, he was married four times. Ali was hospitalized on Thursday with breathing problems. His spokesman then said he was being looked after by a medical team and was in good condition. A short hospital stay is to be expected. However, international media were already reporting at this point that his condition was more serious. Ali's former rival Sugar Ray Leonard wrote on Twitter: "Prayers and blessings for my idol, my friend & without question, the greatest of all time."

Suffering from Parkinson's, the three-time heavyweight world champion and Olympic light heavyweight champion had ended his career in 1981. In the past few years he had been hospitalized several times for health problems. It was not until the end of 2014 that a mild pneumonia was initially diagnosed, but after a few days the doctors found a severe urinary tract infection. Shortly after his release, Ali had to go to the hospital again for follow-up care. As early as 1984, the suspicion of Parkinson's paralysis was confirmed. When he lit the Olympic flame in 1996, already marked by his illness, the pictures caused emotion worldwide. In the past few years, Ali appeared less and less in public. Now he is no longer on this earth, left at the age of 74, as a physical wreck, the decades-long fight against Parkinson's had drained his body. He had come to terms with this curse of mankind and the only opponent he could not prance, outsmart, mock and beat up. Now he is no longer on this earth.

Muhammad Ali with the Beatles

Born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville as the son of a poster painter, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was a gifted boxer and became heavyweight world champion for the first time in February 1964. At that time he defeated Sonny Liston and described his elegant boxing style with the words: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Ali then crowned himself champion twice more. In the course of his career he delivered unforgettable fights such as the "Rumble in the Jungle" or the "Thrilla in Manila". Despite announcing his retirement in June 1979, Ali returned to the ring. He ignored doctors' warnings and went up against Larry Holmes in October 1980. Ali lost after stopping the fight. He fought his 61st and last professional fight (56 wins) a good year later. Ali lost again, opponent on December 11, 1981 in Nassau was then Trevor Berbick. “What I suffered physically was worth it for what I have achieved in life. A man who is not brave enough to take risks will never achieve anything in life."

Muhammad Ali on the Vietnam War Draft

But Muhammad Ali also made headlines around the world by refusing military service during the Vietnam War because no Viet Cong ever called him a "nigger". Who gave up his "slave name" Clay to call himself Muhammad Ali and joined the radical "Black Muslims". What courage! What a provocation! What social explosives at that time! Back then he was either worshiped or hated for everything he did in and out of the ring. Muhammad Ali's boxing license was revoked for refusing to serve and he was stripped of his world title. All of this only made him bigger, more untouchable, wiser, more confident. Ali often came back. "We all lose in life," he once said after a lost fight. "What you have to do is keep living, overcome the losses and get back up." All of Africa was for Ali and against Foreman and Africa danced with joy as Ali crowned himself world champion for the second time and the rest of the world bobbed along. Suddenly, the anger and hatred that had sometimes been directed at Ali had evaporated and given way to the utmost respect. He was now a living legend, a hero. He often looked directly into the camera, looks at us, who are wide awake and fascinated next to our fathers in front of the TV late at night, straight in the eyes and captivated us with his aura, you suffered with him, every blow he had to take hit himself, his way of moving in the ring was simply captivating and we will never forget him.

Ali was an icon throughout his life. Many years after that experience, in shaky retirement, he was asked how he wanted to be remembered. “As a black man who won the heavyweight title and became a preacher to his people. One who never looked down on those who looked up to him. One who tried to unite his people with the Islamic faith." Then Ali closed his eyes. "Sleep is a test of death," he used to say, "one day you wake up and it's Judgment Day." Paying homage to the greatest boxer of all time who also fought against racism and for respect. Ali has been an inspiration to countless athletes, one can only hope that various self-absorbed pseudo-stars today will discover Ali's legacy and become more humble. "All I can do is fight for truth and justice. I can't save everyone. He's a sci-fi character, I'm a real character." he says in a press conference in which Ali announces a comic book in which he beats Superman.

"I am the king of the world. I am beautiful! I'm a bad man! I shook the world up! I shook the world up!" he said on February 25, 1964 after defeating Liston. What he said never bored. This style both excited and angered the masses, and yet he always managed to win the respect of the masses through his actions. Den Ali was not a man of empty words, but of consistent actions. “They did what they thought was right. And I did what I thought was right." was his response to the government's long drive to jail him. Ali always tried to do what was right for him, whether he was offensive or not, and what he was doing was way more than boxing. Ali was a fighter through and through. And that's exactly what made him «The Greatest Of All Time». Rest in Power, Muhammad Ali, Legends never die!